Remodeling Ideas for a Ranch-Style House

Beautify the Curbside

• Enhance the front entrance. Ranch homes often have a very cookie-cutter look with no special features or design whatsoever. To make the house visually appealing, change something to make the curbside view unique. Create a bigger porch roof area and install railings for special emphasis of the space. Add a wide sidewalk with landscaping along its borders and posts near curbside with lantern-type lighting. You can also add pizazz to the front of the ranch house by installing cedar shakes or copper metal roofing on the porch only.

Plan New Kitchen Details

• An upgraded kitchen is mandatory in most ranch remodels. These kitchens are typically built with minimal emphasis on cabinetry or decor. Mediocre materials may have been used in a neighborhood of tract homes that a contractor built on a decisive budget. Changing paint color and adding crown molding around the ceiling area can help. Consider adding an island bar or installing a new stainless steel range and refrigerator, along with beautiful flooring. Open a wall between the living room and kitchen to create a sense of roominess.

Add New Bath Materials

• Secondary bathrooms in a ranch home can tend to be small in some instances. Installing a large mirror over the vanity or painting walls white can visually enlarge the room. If the bathrooms are outdated, invest in a new toilet, bathtub or shower in each room. In most cases, well-designed bathrooms add market appeal to a home. To stay within budget, use drywall on walls and just a small amount of tile in each space. Add two rows of tile at shoulder height around the perimeter of each bathroom.

Enhance Living Spaces

• Look at ways to add appeal to the foyer and living room. New drywall and wall paint, plus great new flooring can give the ranch house a more contemporary appeal. Older ranch homes often have carpeted floors and paneling in living areas. By removing paneling and installing drywall and changing flooring to hardwood or tile, you can make the foyer and living space seem new. Furnish the living room with one or two sofas and well-placed tables or media cabinets. Your home will look more upscale if furnishings look balanced and neat.

Invest in New Lighting

• To upgrade the ranch house inside and outside, upgrade old light fixtures. Bedrooms in a ranch home often have 12-inch square flat glass coverings secured with a single bolt. These outdated glass coverings can chip easily and fall. New light fixtures will enhance porch space, living room areas, kitchen and bathrooms, too. Install light fixtures throughout the house interior that have the same level of formality. For instance, if you use a chandelier in the dining room or foyer, use more formal fixtures in bathroom and bedroom spaces.